Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing

Overview

• Series edited by Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky.
• Volumes cover various perspectives on writing topics.
• Targets undergraduate readers, encouraging them to join discussions on writing.
• Essays are standalone texts that complement other readings in writing courses.

License and Publication

• Published by Parlor Press in 2011.
• Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 US.
• Available in paperback and Adobe eBook formats.
• Includes references and an index.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to contributors, editorial board, and editorial staff.
• Acknowledgment of Parlor Press and WAC Clearinghouse partnerships.

Contents Highlights

Ten Ways To Think About Writing: Metaphoric Musings for College Writing Students

• Author: E. Shelley Reid
• Writing is challenging, often bound by excessive rules.
• Emphasizes rhetorical principles over strict rules.
• Encourages writing rhetorically: focusing on author, reader, and purpose.
• Highlights principles: Write about interests, show not tell, adapt to audience.

Composition as a Write of Passage

• Author: Nathalie Singh-Corcoran
• FYC (First Year Composition) aims to prepare students for academic discourse.
• Discusses knowledge transfer and how FYC impacts future writing tasks.
• Emphasizes rhetorical knowledge, critical thinking, and writing conventions.

Critical Thinking in College Writing

• Author: Gita DasBender
• Critical thinking is essential but often misunderstood.
• Encourages attentive reading and thoughtful response.
• Writing should challenge both the writer and reader.
• Includes strategies for textual analysis and extending ideas.

Looking for Trouble: Finding Your Way into a Writing Assignment

• Author: Catherine Savini
• Emphasizes problem-finding in writing assignments.
• Presents process: noticing, articulating problems, posing questions, identifying stakes.
• Describes how problems lead to thesis development.

How to Read Like a Writer

• Author: Mike Bunn
• Focus on understanding author choices as a learning tool.
• Encourages reading to learn about writing techniques.
• Discusses the importance of context, genre, and audience.

Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking)

• Author: Janet Boyd
• Explores rhetoric's role in writing.
• Uses a murder mystery exercise to understand rhetorical situations.
• Highlights genre conventions and audience expectations.

The Complexity of Simplicity: Invention Potentials for Writing Students

• Author: Colin Charlton
• Invention is about finding new connections.
• Challenges traditional focus on writing; encourages experimentation.
• Discusses adapting forms to fit public audiences.

Writing Eyeball To Eyeball: Building a Successful Collaboration

• Author: Rebecca Ingalls
• Collaboration enhances creativity and results.
• Discusses the importance of structure, communication, and shared goals.

On the Other Hand: The Role of Antithetical Writing in First Year Composition Courses

• Author: Steven D. Krause
• Encourages exploring opposing views to strengthen arguments.
• Analyzes audience perspectives and antithetical arguments.

Introduction to Primary Research: Observations, Surveys, and Interviews

• Author: Dana Lynn Driscoll
• Covers primary research methods useful for writing courses.
• Discusses ethics, planning, and data collection techniques.

Putting Ethnographic Writing in Context

• Author: Seth Kahn
• Ethnography involves detailed study of cultures and contexts.
• Emphasizes ethics, participant relationships, and writing.

Walk, Talk, Cook, Eat: A Guide to Using Sources

• Author: Cynthia R. Haller
• Discusses finding, using, and documenting sources effectively.
• Uses metaphors (walking, talking, cooking, eating) to explain source use.

Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources

• Author: Karen Rosenberg
• Offers strategies for understanding scholarly texts.
• Focus on audience, rhetorical reading, and critical thinking.